The following editorial was published Feb. 12 by the St. Joseph News-Press.

Thousands of Missouri residents — young children and teens — depend on the bureaucracy to do one thing exceedingly well: protect and provide for them while they are in state care.

This work proves hard even under the best of circumstances, and this is not that time. The number of young people in the Missouri foster care system now is about 13,000 and rising.

“The pressures of a growing system, as well as the demanding and emotionally grueling nature of the work, have made it difficult to be responsive to the needs of those requiring help,” says House Speaker Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff.

Safety is a fundamental, as should be attention to creating a stable, caring environment where children will thrive. But the average time a child spends in foster care is estimated to be two years, and about half of the children experience three or more foster care placements.

“We need to find ways to best serve our children and youth who, at no fault of their own, are put in challenging circumstances,” says Richardson.

It appears Missouri is entering a productive time of focusing on these issues and applying multiple resources to the task in a coordinated way. Richardson is doing his part by appointing Rep. Jim Neely, R-Cameron, to head a new Special Committee to Improve the Care and Well-Being of Young People.

“With the amount of legislation filed to address the policies and practices of the programs that serve as the state’s safety net, a specific committee with its sole mission to carefully evaluate each proposal was needed so we ensure every child in Missouri has the opportunity to succeed in life,” Richardson says.

The committee’s oversight includes the Children’s Division of the Department of Social Services, child welfare services, the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline, the School Violence Hotline, Intensive In-Home Services, Foster Care and other services.

Meanwhile, Gov. Eric Greitens and first lady Sheena Greitens have made improvements in foster care services a priority. In December, the first lady announced the state has joined a multistate system for sharing information electronically and expediting the placement of children in safe, permanent families across state lines.

Also, the state is a participant in a research study focused on foster parent recruitment and retention. The goal is to determine the best ways to select and support foster parents and to lower turnover rates for foster parents that can reach 60 percent after one year.

Our safety net for children sags under the weight of many challenges. Cooperative efforts such as these can help lighten the load.